Trafficant on trial

[JSMOOTH]

I'm gonna keep updating this as the trial goes on. Jim is on top of his game with these quotes. Beam me up!

''I have become more steadfast in my pursuit of challenging these bastards than ever,'' Traficant, 60, says of the FBI agents and government prosecutors who built the case against him. ''They better not make a mistake or I'm going to shove it up their backsides.''

''You're asking me about a fly on my face when there's an elephant eating my ass?'' he snapped with characteristic vividness when a reporter asked about his re-election plans.

 

[JSMOOTH]

Prosecution's first witness

Prosecution's first witness

Allen Sinclair - A Boardman, OH personal injury lawyer, and member of Traficant's staff.

Sinclair testified that he kicked-back 2,500 dollars per month, for 13 months, to Traficant. Sinclair later began to cooperate with the FBI unbenounced to Traficant. He stated that when Traficant knew he was being investigated, that Traficant handed him several bank envelopes containing 16,000 dollars and that in Sinclair's basement, Traficant lit a butane torch and told Sinclair to burn the envelopes. Sinclair stated that, with Traficant standing over his shoulder,he began to torch the envelopes.

Did I catch on fire? Traficant interrupted....

Traficant's cross examination consisted mainly of why the FBI didn't have Sinclair bugged while he was cooperating with them. He was reasoning that an FBI bug would have shown no wrong doing, thus helping Traficant's case. Thus, the following quote to the media....

The FBI secretly records everybody and if they thought it could've gotten me to confess to Sinclair, they would've had wires up his rectum.

Ohhh, it's just getting started.

 

[in2fitness]

LMFAO This guy is a riot!!

 

[SmashMouth]

Sorry if I'm ignorant, Who is this guy?

 

[taoist]

JSMOOTH's congressman in Ohio....

p.s. Smooth, I love this quote....

"The IRS said last year's 81 percent error rate dropped to only 73 percent this past year. Unbelievable. The Internal Rectal Service screws up 73 percent of the time and then brags about it."

...now that's classic!!!

:thefinger ...the IRS.

 

[JSMOOTH]

Sorry if I'm ignorant, Who is this guy?

James Traficant (D) OH 17th District.
Traficant represented himself in 1983 as then Mahoning County Sherriff against bribery and being affiliated with the mob. ( Youngstown is pretty much controlled by the mob.) He beat the charges.

Now, he is being charged again to receiving kickbacks from his congressional staff and accepting bribes. He claims the government has a vendetta against him for beating them in 83.

He is known for outlandish, hand waving speeches on the House Floor, wearing denim, bell bottomed suits with cowboy boots, having an unmistakebly recognizable haircut and best of all...for pushing to abolish the IRS.

and this quote...Beam me up!

**Allen Sinclair has received immunity from prosecuters in exchange for his testimony**

 

[JSMOOTH]

more from Sinclair

more from Sinclair

Thursday provided more testimony from Allen Sinclair. Not much good stuff, but Traficant was said to be struggling with his cross examination...taking an extremely long time between questions and having his evidence barred by the judge. (Which is crap).

He doesn't like the fact that FBI is seated in the courtroom, watching the trial and had this to say to the judge...

I want their asses outta here!

Some say that his "stumbling and fumbling" tactics are staged.

Did you guys know that Jimbo was a QB for Pitt, throwing passes to Mike Ditka?

 

[JSMOOTH]

Another good one...

Another good one...

Traficant...to Judge Lesley Wells Brooks...
Why are we proceeding?! I have to go to the bathroom!

also...
During cross examination of a witness who worked at his horse farm, Traficant's voice bellowed, and he waived his arms frantically as he tried to have the witness explain the difference between a stallion and a gelding. Traficant finally shouted...
A gelding doesn't have a set of testicles!

 

[in2fitness]

Beam me up!

Beam me up!

Thanks for the update JSMOOTH!

 

[JSMOOTH]

in2fitness....

in2fitness....

there's been about 8 witnesses from the prosecution so far...all testifying that they either knew of someone, or gave Jim monthly kickbacks. Also, some have testified that they worked on his horse farm instead of in his office.

The prosecution also produced a briefcase of about 30,000 dollars that was alleged "kickback money". The money had obviously been dusted for fingerprints and Traficant's hands were clean.

 

[Nolan Dalla]

This freakin' creep may be colorful and funny, but he's also an anti-gambling zealot. Trafficant has been one of Ohio's (and Congress') most stawart opponents of anything to do with legalized gambling. He's a punk -- plain and simple. Let's hope he gets prison time and cellmated with a serial killer.

-- Nolan Dalla

 

[JSMOOTH]

Sorry Nollan...

Sorry Nollan...

I could care less if he's against gambling. It's not like Ohio has a chance of legalizing it anyways.

Traficant to the judge......
You're hindering my defense!
Judge...
Keep your voice down!
Traficant...
Hold me in contempt....you have the right to throw me in jail!

One of Jim's other famous quotes are...
I'm just the son of a truck driver. He walked up to lead prosecutor, Craig Morford and said...
If you don't beat me...you might driving a truck.
Then he went to the sketch artist and said...
Why do you make look so fat in the newspapers?

The prosecution has called over 50 witnesses, all testifying that they either knew of or did themselves, "under the table work" for Jimbo or gave him cash in return for Congressional favors. (blah, blah, blah) No one has produced any fingerprints, wire tap recordings or video of Jim engaging in these acts, and every witness has been given either immunity or a reduced sentence in return for their testimony.

Traficant's defense should start next week.....here's where it will get interesting!

 

[JSMOOTH]

The verdict is in....

The verdict is in....

Jimbo's defense lasted 2 weeks and he called 31 witnesses. Much of his evidence and witness statements were disallowed by the judge. He had many good quotes, I can't remember them all but I do recall this one.....
Judge - Mr. Traficant, do you rest?!!!!
Traficant - Very well...every night.

Anyways, The prosecution had no physical evidence on any of their 10 counts against him...they produced cash, money envelopes and a handwritten note as evidence - all of which were free of Traficant's fingerprints. They had no FBI surveillence of him or wiretaps assuming his guilt...every single witness testified under immunity or a reduced sentence...and their star witness, multi-millionaire JJ Cafaro, admitted to lying under oath at a trial in 1999!

Traficant was disallowed key witness testimony on the fact of hearsay...was barred from submitting audio tapes (which he says will prove his innoncence) and was not allowed to use his defense strategy of being a victim of a government vendetta. (Traficant won aquittal in 1983 while representing himself).

Longer story short....it sickens me to announce that the jury came back with.....

Guilty on all 10 counts

 

[JSMOOTH]

While leaving the courthouse, Traficant had this to say to reporters....

reporter Are you gonna resign from Congress?
Traficant I've never quit before...why would I quit now?
reporter Mr. Gephart says you should resign.
Traficant Gephart has no balls. Tell him to go f*ck himself!